Paddling season is underway in Pennsylvania, and what better way to enjoy the summer heat than to enjoy the state’s waterways. The Pennsylvania Environmental Council and its affiliate organizations have many opportunities to get paddlers of all skill levels on the water, as well as some new grant programs to improve access.
PEC believes that the more people get outside, the more they’ll want to protect and preserve the outdoors. With that in mind, we spoke with Tali MacArthur, PEC’s Program Manager for Watershed Outreach. Her chief responsibility is to advance the mission of the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, or POWR.
She gave a rundown of the numerous programs underway, from the 2023 Pennsylvania River Sojourns to a new grant program that provides funding for urgent issues on water trails, such as flood damage or debris pileup.
Thirteen paddling expeditions have been planned for this year as part of the River Sojourns Program, which combine paddling outings with lessons on safety, the environment, and conservation.
“Many of these sojourns are happening in June and July, so if you’re interested in joining one, you should probably check them out soon,” MacArthur said.
The groups that host sojourns pay particular attention to overcoming barriers to accessing waterways, taking steps to reduce cost and make equipment available.
“One of the goals of the Sojourn Program is to facilitate opportunities for all Pennsylvanians to access close to home recreation and to feel comfortable doing so and to have fun,” MacArthur said.
Events like these are building the next generation of river stewards. With that in mind, MacArthur shared some general stewardship practices when recreating on waterways.
“It’s important to remember that you’re out when you’re out there, that the river is home to lots of different critters, and that the river banks and the riparian habitat is very important and provides a lot of important ecological functions and benefits, so we need to make sure that recreational activities don’t have a negative impact on that environment,” she said.
One of the most important ways to minimize impact is to follow Leave No Trace principles, such as packing out trash, respecting wildlife, and knowing the regulations for the areas you visit.
To that end, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has a new program called the Pennsylvania Waterway Steward Program. You can get involved by applying to become a waterway steward, which includes a cleanup kit. You can also complete a quick survey online so they track where trash and litter in our waterways seems to collect.
“It’s a really great way to enjoy being outside, cleaning up your local waterway and giving back by contributing to a better understanding of waterway litter,” MacArthur said.
Listen to the full episode to get all the information you need for a fun and meaningful paddling season, or read the transcript below.
Links
- 2023 Pennsylvania River Sojourns
- River of the Year Sojourn: North Branch of the Susquehanna
- Open grant applications, including OBACK and urgent issues mini grants
- Pennsylvania Waterways Steward program
Endless Mountain Heritage Region’s website for more River of the Year activities.
Josh Raulerson (0:01)
It’s Friday, June 9th, and this is Pennsylvania Legacies, the podcast from the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. I’m Josh Raulerson. Memorial Day weekend marked the unofficial start of boating season in Pennsylvania, and the ensuing sunshine has people itching to get out on the water. In the coming months, there are plenty of opportunities to do just that, regardless of whether you’re a seasoned paddler or just dipping your toes into the sport. In Pennsylvania, waterways have deep ties to the state’s industrial history, and future development puts them at risk, as we discussed in our previous episode on the Endangered Rivers List, of which Pennsylvania has two. But thanks to conservation efforts across the state, many once-polluted rivers and lakes have been given new life. Improvements in water quality have also expanded recreation access, from remote forests to city centers. PEC’s affiliate group, the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, or POWR, supports a range of initiatives aimed at improving paddling accessibility from grant programs to the 2023 Pennsylvania River of the Year — more on that later. We believe the more people can enjoy Pennsylvania’s waterways, the more they’ll want to protect them. So on this episode, we’re bringing you a rundown of upcoming events and grant opportunities in the world of water recreation, as well as a lesson in paddling etiquette and boat safety. PEC communications coordinator Derek Maiolo spoke with Watersheds Program Manager Tali MacArthur, who works with POWR. Here is their conversation.
Derek Maiolo (1:30)
So with the weather warming up and, you know, kids almost out of school, it’s that time of year when people are looking to get out on the water. I know there are a lot of exciting opportunities right now and over the coming months for those who love to paddle or who are looking to give it a try. So let’s start with the River Sojourns. Can you tell me a little bit about this program?
Tali MacArthur (1:48)
Yeah, sure. I’d love to. So the Pennsylvania Sojourn Mini Grant program is a program administered by power by the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers. And this is in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. It’s actually a pretty nationally unique program in that we distribute small grants across the state to local organizations who then host a sojourn. And a sojourn is kind of interesting word. Sometimes I’m asked what does that mean exactly? And um, what it is, is it’s an opportunity to get out on the water to paddle or kayak on a waterway in Pennsylvania. It’s a fun outdoor activity, but it’s also an effective tool for raising awareness about our rivers for enhancing community involvement when it comes to protecting natural and cultural resources and an opportunity to promote stewardship of our waterways and our water resources and river sojourns offer a pretty unique and different point of view. It’s very different when you’re actually in the water looking at the river from that perspective. And it really gives you an opportunity to see these treasured landscapes and these assets in a different way.
Derek Maiolo (3:06)
I understand that POWR recently awarded its annual Sojourn Mini Grants. Tell me a little bit about those. What adventures or planned for this year? Are there maybe any new programs that you’re particularly excited about?
Tali MacArthur (3:19)
Yeah, so every year as I mentioned, we have mini grant program for Sojourns. This year we were really excited to award 13 of those grants to several organizations. And these organizations then use the grants to, um, host events out on the waterways. And these can be one day events or multi-day events, and they are open to the public. If you don’t have a kayak, that’s okay, you can almost always rent one to enjoy this opportunity on the waterway. So yeah, and we’re kind of excited about a couple new programs. So oftentimes, organizations will host a sojourn year after year. They’re well attended and, they draw new and also existing paddlers out. So we have, we have funded a few of the events that we’ve funded over the years, but there’s also some new ones that we’re really excited about, um, and we’re really happy to be able to support.
One of those is a program called Learn the Locks. It’s hosted by the Friends of the Riverfront. They are actually managers of the Three Rivers Water Trail, and the Learn the Locks workshop is a really unique opportunity to spend a few hours on the water learning how to navigate the Army Corps of Engineers Lock and Dam System on the Allegheny River. So that’s, that’s really an important educational opportunity for that particular waterway. We are also pleased tosupport the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy for their sojourn. They are hosting a 10-mile long sojourn on the recently designated Perkiomen Creek Water Trail. And so that Sojourn is in part to celebrate that accomplishment. Finally I’ll highlight another sort of workshop series. The Susquehanna Greenway Partnership is hosting something called the Paddler’s Toolkit Workshop. This is a series of events that provide an opportunity to learn and develop paddling skills, to learn more about the natural environment, the plants and animals that also call the Susquehanna home. So it’s not sort of a typical sojourn that you put in in one place and take out in another place, but it’s really an opportunity to learn and apply new skills. So we think that’s another interesting event that we are pleased to support. And I just wanna mention, I’ll probably say it again later, but as it turns out, many of these sojourns are happening in June and July, so if you’re interested in joining one, you should probably check them out soon.
Derek Maiolo (6:02)
Absolutely, yeah, the Learn the Locks, that’s one I’m very interested in. As someone who kind of grew up on the West Coast, it’s a skill that I didn’t really know one could have. And so being around here now, paddling more on the Allegheny that’s something I really hope to take part in. And I understand they’re doing a couple, I think monthly, correct, the Learn the Locks program, there’s a couple of those?
Tali MacArthur (6:26)
Yes, there are. I believe there are four of them, and they do extend into the fall.
Derek Maiolo (6:30)
Okay. Yeah, we’ll definitely have to, we’ll have some more, uh, information on how to get involved with those different events for people who would like to get out on the water.
Tali MacArthur (6:39)
Yes, we’d love to see that. And you might even see a couple other Peck employees, uh, out on the water. So we like to celebrate and support our our partners in their efforts. So we’ll be out there a couple times.
Derek Maiolo (6:52)
Absolutely. That sounds fun. What kind of things do you look for when you are selecting sojourns for grant funding?
Tali MacArthur (6:59)
Yeah, that’s a good question. Because we do actually have more applicants than we’re able to fund, every year we wish we could supply funding for, for everyone who wants to put on an event, but it is a competitive grant process. So the review committee is looking for projects that are well planned and well coordinated that provide events for new novice and experienced paddlers. So sojourns, because they are sort of an organization handles all the logistics, they really do serve as a great opportunity for new, for families, for maybe younger paddlers to get out there. So we want to make sure that events are coordinated in such a way that enable even new people to get out and explore the waterways. So that’s definitely something we look for.
We also look for a fun interactive educational component. So this could be a lecture or a presentation on the cultural and historical importance of the river. It could be a program in partnership with the Master Watershed Steward Program, or theMaster Naturalist Program, or some other environmental educator that provides information about the natural resources of the river and watershed. It could be an opportunity to engage in a stewardship opportunity, maybe like a trash cleanup as part of the event, or something else that provides a stewardship opportunity. And we’ve had events that will show a fun film, so like a paddling film or something else that sort of, again, links the participants to the waterway, to the culture, to the history, to the other recreation opportunities that are available. So yeah, that’ll be something else that we, we look for. And we also look for partnerships. These, these events can’t be held just with one organization, so we want to see that it’s also involving the community and some other community partners.
Derek Maiolo (8:59)
Sounds like great things to support. And I think that that the dynamic, the interplay of all those really wonderful thing, getting people out in the water, helping them appreciate the places around them. I’m a little newer to Pennsylvania. I got my first paddle board last summer, and getting out on the water has been a great way to explore my new state and, uh, appreciate all of the great things that are going on here.
Tali MacArthur (9:25)
Well I forgot to say welcome to it, Derek . We’re happy to have you here.
Derek Maiolo (9:29)
Thank you very much.
Tali MacArthur (9:30)
Yeah. I’ll also highlight that some of the Sojourn hosts are paying really close attention to helping overcome some of the barriers that have been identified to accessing waterways and events like this. And, you know, whether that’s reduced cost or free tickets for folks to maybe who have never been out on the water before and might see that as a barrier. They also have programs who offer sort of a mentor program so that they’ll identify new paddlers and that person is paired up with an expert, um, paddler or one of the safety people on the trip, or the outfitter, I guess I should say, to make sure that that person feels really comfortable. Because one of the goals of the Sojourn is to, to facilitate opportunities for all Pennsylvanians to access close to home recreation and to feel comfortable doing so and to have fun. So if a Sojourn applicant sort of highlights a way that they might be expanding opportunities to more Pennsylvanians, that’s also something that we like to see in the applications. And we’re really excited about the variety of events. They’re family friendly, we have youth focused Sojourns. We have some that are one day and some that are an entire week. We can really provide opportunities for just a variety of interests.
Derek Maiolo (10:47)
Absolutely. I know it shows all the different ways that you can, you know, get out for just an afternoon or really make paddling a whole week excursion. So all, all great ways to get out and appreciate all that Pennsylvania has to offer. So we also have the 2023 River of the Year. Tali, tell me about this year’s selection.
Tali MacArthur (11:09)
Yeah, yeah. It’s the north branch of the Susquehanna River, kind of in the northeast ish part of the river. So, um, it’s the, the top portion of the, the Susquehanna, which is, uh, of course the river that, um, makes it all the way down into the Chesapeake Bay. But this is the northern portion, and yeah, it was selected, uh, by public vote as the state’s 2023 River of the Year.
Derek Maiolo (11:32)
Tell me a little bit about this program. How is it helping Pennsylvania’s waterways and, uh, maybe bringing in the groups that protect them?
Tali MacArthur (11:39)
Yeah, sure. So again, this is another project that we administer with support from the Pennsylvania DCNR. And the River of the Year program is just another one that really engages local communities. It provides an opportunity to showcase the rich culture and history, and again, recreational opportunities, but it’s also really important for building awareness and stewardship that will protect and conserve the river well after its yearlong designation is up. So that’s really an important part. We have examples from previous winners of the River of the Year program that have simply said for the years following, they have seen increases in membership, they have seen increases in engagement. They’ve been contacted by more and more municipalities that want to improve access to the river. So it’s a year-long celebration that has implications and reverberations kind of well past the year. So this year, the Endless Mountains Heritage Region is the host of the River of the Year. They nominated it and they kind of got out the vote. And they received a $10,000 leadership grant that helps to fund a whole slate of activities, including a River of the Year’s Sojourn. They call it the Heritage Benefit Paddle. They also have an outdoor expo and other events throughout the year to celebrate the river, to raise awareness and to build appreciation and stewardship for the region.
Derek Maiolo (13:11)
That all sounds really exciting. When is that sojourn, and the expo? Tell me about those a little more.
Tali MacArthur (13:18)
I think the Summer Heritage Benefit Paddle is on July 15th, and on September 29th, they are holding an outdoor expo. And a lot of that information can be found both on POWR’s website and of course the Eastern Mountain, I mean the Endless Mountains Heritage Region website.
Derek Maiolo (13:33)
Okay, great. We’ll make sure to link those in this episode. So I know for me, I grew up, I was lucky enough to grow up in Colorado, grew up paddling a lot with my family. And while we were out in the water, you know, it was also, my parents tried to promote that as important it is as it is to have fun on the water. It’s also important to be a good steward of the natural resources. So what are some things people can do while they’re out in the water to limit their impact on those natural resources and embrace that sense of stewardship?
Tali MacArthur (14:05)
You’re right. Paddling is a wonderful, fun, family friendly activity, but it’s important to remember that you’re out when you’re out there. That the river is home to lots of different critters, and that the river banks and the, the riparian habitat is very important and provides a lot of important ecological functions and benefits. So we need to make sure that recreational activities don’t have a negative impact on that environment. So some things that you know, to consider are the Leave No Trace ethics basic concepts like, you know, dispose of your trash properly, have a plan maybe for picking up some litter that you might see on the way as long as it’s safe to do so. There’s a lot of concern about what are known as invasive species, and so one good practice is to clean your boat as well as you can, as best as you can if you’re headed to a new waterway or between excursions on different waterways. And this can really help limit the spread of some of our invasive species. Another thing that we really wanna encourage you to do is to join an organization whose mission is to protect rivers and get involved in some of the volunteer opportunities when you can. Our rivers need us to help steward and protect them.
Derek Maiolo (15:20)
How do some of the programs that you are involved with promote stewardship?
Tali MacArthur (15:24)
We have a partner in a lot of our efforts to clean up and protect and steward our waterways. It’s called Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. And they have launched a new program called the Pennsylvania Waterway Steward Program. And really the goal of that program is to engage Pennsylvania’s water trail waterway users and paddlers, outdoor enthusiasts who are concerned about the health of our waterways and in a sort of community science and stewardship activity that provides an opportunity to sort of clean up as you go. And it’s pretty easy to get involved. Again, it’s Keep PA Beautiful is the organization. If you visit their website, they have a quick application form to become a waterway steward. And, uh, when you pledge to help clean up litter as you go, you receive a really cool litter pickup kit. It has kind of this grabber device and a mesh bag. And then they also ask that you complete a quick survey online so they can kind of track where trash and litter in our waterways seems to be. And it’s a really great way to enjoy being outside, cleaning up your local waterway and giving back by contributing to a better understanding of waterway litter.
Derek Maiolo (16:44)
Wow. I will definitely have to get my litter pickup kit after this episode.
I know that according to recent surveys and research paddling is one of the fastest growing outdoor recreational activities. A lot of people are wanting to get out and try it, um, get more into it. So in order to accommodate all that growth organizations, agencies and others have been dedicating a lot of resources towards increasing and enhancing access to waterways. Can you tell us a little bit about the grant opportunities available for planning, designing, maybe constructing more launches?
Tali MacArthur (17:20)
Yeah. We’re seeing a really huge increase in the number of people that want to get out on our waterways, and that’s just wonderful. But without safe and accessible and, and plentiful access to our rivers, that’s not gonna be easy to do. So yeah, some agencies and organizations have been helping to fund projects that enhance or create new access. So one of those, it’s got a little bit of a funny acronym, so bear with me. It’s OBACK and it’s the Ohio Basin Access for Canoes and Kayaks grant program. It’s funded by a couple of organizations that have come together to support this work. And it provides funding for design, engineering, construction and rehabilitation of non-motorized public access projects, which within the Ohio River Basin. Um, so if you are a nonprofit organization, a municipality, a county, or even an educational institution, you can apply for this funding.
Funds are available. You can request up to $30,000. There is a one-to-one match, um, but it’s a rolling application, so there’s no specific deadline for it, but the sooner the better. So if you have a project and that part of the state, you can certainly contact POWR to find out a little bit more about that and the application is open. So that’s been open for a little while and there’s actually been some really great, great projects already funded by that grant, and I’ll just mention a couple of them. So the French Creek Valley Conservancy is the manager of the French Creek Water Trail, and they used OBACK funding to improve access at what they call their Miller Station Road Bridge. And previous to to this grant, there were kind of these, these stairs that actually led down into the water and they really provided, they kind of hindered anyone with any kind of physical limitation, um, from getting into the water easily.
And they also created a challenge for emergency rescue personnel who might have to get out on the water quickly. There was also a lack of designated parking, which created some, some hazards and concerns. So the French Creek Valley Conservancy worked with the landowner and with several, several organizations to create a kind of long angle ramp style launch, which made accessibility much easier. They also created a designated parking area. Volunteers helped plant some trees and signage was installed to assist with access and parking as well.
And just one other project that I just wanna showcase is the Jamestown Lions Club improved paddle craft access on another Pennsylvania Water Trail. This time the Shenango River. Again, previously there were steps here that were not conducive for use by those trying to launch kayaks and canoes. So the project was funded and was completed. It reduced the grade of the access and created this sort of stone ramp that created much easier access.
And then I’m really happy to announce that with additional support from our partners at the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and also Pennsylvania’s Fish and Boat Commission, POWR is going to be able to take this access grant statewide very soon. Not open quite yet, but keep an eye out for the announcement. And we do promise a better acronym. Yeah, and there’s actually a couple more out there.
Again, these have different timeframes and slightly different, project and applicant eligibility. But again, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has a boating facility grant program. This also provides funding for, this one even provides funding for land acquisition and design and engineering of these projects. So that’s one to keep a lookout for.
And I’ve mentioned a couple times the Pennsylvania Water Trail program. So maybe I should take a minute to just, uh, sort of talk about what that is. Water trails are defined as recreational waterways on lakes and rivers and streams, typically between specific design destinations. They have access points along the way to enable a variety of trip experiences, and we actually have 29 designated water trails. And these trails are exceptionally suited for low impact use such as kayaking, canoeing, paddling, and floating. And I had mentioned a couple of the managers. So each of these water trails are managed by a specific entity. They are supported by their local communities, and the idea is to provide this kind of recreational enjoyment and stewardship opportunities. And one of the benefits of being a water trail and taking on water trail management responsibilities is that you become eligible for two mini grants. One is brand new. We just launched it this year and doesn’t have that great of a name, but we call it, we’re calling it the Water Trail Urgent Issue Grant. And basically these are grants, a small grant that is available for a project that can quickly and efficiently address a situation on a designated water trail that’s either causing or could reasonably be expected to cause an unsafe or dangerous situation on the water trail. So we had some situations like that over the past couple years, and we were contacted by the water trail manager that says if only we could have access to some funding fairly quickly we could take care of the situation and open the water trail back up. And so this is kind of a pilot program that we’re starting. We’ll see how it goes.
And then we have our normal sort of water trail mini grant. This is an annual grant. I think it’s up to $5,000. Again, with a one-to-one match. It has to be a project on a designated water trail. It has to support the water trails program principles. And the neat thing about that is that it also doesn’t have to be just the water trail manager that’s eligible, but any partner of the Water Trail manager that wants to apply for and manage the grant and implement a project that will improve access stewardship, volunteerism, diversity on our water trails is, can be considered for that grant.
Derek Maiolo (23:55)
I’m curious, I know you just rolled out the urgent issues grants. Have, do you have any areas or certain water trails that you have maybe identified a as being places that you want to highlight or go and improve access?
Tali MacArthur (24:13)
It’s a new program, so it’s, it’s hard for me to kind of define exactly how it’s gonna work out. But you know, a situation that we had that really kind of triggered this, you know, at any point in time there could be a really severe hurricane or storm, you know, we are seeing flashier storms and flood events and those are things that can really impact access. And so, we’re just thinking it could really be any number of things on a water trail that, you know, whether it’s some kind of debris pile up or, you know, some kind of sediment buildup on a ramp because of a major storm. We’ll kind of see, you know, what might happen, but it’s kind of for these unanticipated events. So it’s not something that, you know, if you know there’s been a problem for a while and you could use a little bit of money to get it fixed, that’s not really what this is for. This is for sort of an unanticipated problem. Yeah. But we’re not really sure what that’s gonna look like yet, but we’re giving it a shot.
Derek Maiolo (25:12)
It sounds like a good idea to be proactive about, you know, those unforeseen events.
Tali MacArthur (25:16)
Yeah, and that’s what we try to do. I mean, really it’s as one of the partners coordinating the Water Trail program, again along with DCNR and Fish and Boat, we, you know, we want to be able to be there for and meet the needs of our water trail managers because they really are taking it upon themselves to ensure that these water trails are open and accessible and that there are opportunities for folks to get out on the water. And it’s, being a water trail manager doesn’t come with a whole lot of perks, so what we do, what we can to kind of support their efforts because they are really critical partners out there ensuring that our waterways can be used for this activity.
Derek Maiolo (25:52)
So we’ve talked a lot about paddling, canoeing, kayaking, that sort of thing. But of course there are lots of others who use the river for motor boating, fishing, uh, maybe even, you know, birding, picnicking or just hiking along the river. So river etiquette seems to be pretty important in all of these various uses. What are some things people should consider as they are getting outside and, and on or along our waterways?
Tali MacArthur (26:20)
Yeah, that’s true. Some places the weekends in the summertime when the weather is just perfect, there can be a lot of people out enjoying the outdoors. And I think we just want to kind of promote some common sense behaviors. Think a little bit about your, just your basic etiquette and what might like river etiquette be. So, you know, we’re gonna have people fishing from our peers and from the shore and maybe even in the water. So, you know, you just wanna not paddle too close to someone else who’s enjoying that experience out on the water. We are improving access to our waterways as quickly as we possibly can, but it’s really important that when you’re out there, you know, think about getting your boat into and out of the water as safely but as you can, but also quickly cuz there could be others who want to access the launches.
Just the other day I was launching a kayak down in Harrisburg with a big group of people and there was a little girl who was patiently waiting to get into the water with her mom and maybe look for some crayfish. And so we really wanted to be considerate of her and make sure that she also had an opportunity to enjoy the experience out there. So another thing we talked about, you know, parking can sometimes be a little tricky. So be considerate of where and how you park. Remember that some vehicles will have trailers on them, even if yours doesn’t. You want to be aware, really important to be aware and respectful of private property owners adjacent to the river. And the PA Water Trails program especially encourages, encourages you to use publicly owned launches like those at state or municipal parks or those owned and maintained by the Fish and Boat Commission. Please only use private property if you have express permission to do so. So, you know, have fun, but respect that some folks are l are looking for quiet respite along the rivers. And so we want to make sure that everybody is enjoying the experience that, uh, they hoped for when they go outside.
Derek Maiolo (28:19)
And I know with the weather, like it’s been really lucked out on some sunny warm days, so I’m sure a lot of people are gonna be out and about. So yes, definitely important to to be respectful, allow everybody to enjoy the outdoors as they see fit. We’ve covered a lot here. Where are some websites or, uh, some places that people can go to learn more about everything we’ve covered?
Tali MacArthur (28:44)
Yeah, sure. So I’ll just highlight a couple. Um, obviously I’ve mentioned the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, so that’s a good place to go for a lot of information about safety and also some of the regulations, boating regulations that are out there. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention POWR’s website, which is pawatersheds.org and we have information about sojourns. We have a list of sojourns as real, as long as well as a really cool story map where you can see on a map where those sojourns are taking place and also read a description about them. And we also have River of the Year information on there, of course, and some of our grant opportunities can also be linked to from that website. The new Water Trail website has just been migrated, so it now lives on the pecpa.org website so you can find it there.
And that has information for, and contacts for all of the Pennsylvania Water Trails and their managers. So that’s a really good place to go if you’re looking for an experience on one of our designated water trails and kind of wondering where to get maps, um, and other resources. Of course, I mentioned the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website, so that’s where you’re gonna find that Water Stewards program. And another great website that POWR refers folks to is the American Canoe Association website and that also has some really great information. So those were probably top my list.
Derek Maiolo (30:11)
On that note, we can wrap this up. Tali MacArthur is Pennsylvania Environmental Council’s Program Manager for Watershed Outreach. Again, her chief responsibility is to advance the mission of the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, or POWR. Tali, thank you so much for your time being on Pennsylvania Legacies today. I hope to see you out in the water soon and hope you have a great day.
Tali MacArthur (30:35)
Thank you, too. It was a pleasure.
Josh Raulerson (30:41)
Derek Maiolo is PEC’s communications coordinator. You heard him in conversation with Tali MacArthur of the Watersheds program. You can find a complete list of 2023 Pennsylvania River Sojourn events, as well as all the information you need to get out on the water this summer. Whether that’s as part of a sojourn or organized outing or just on your own. You can find links to those resources on the PEC website. Look for the notes to this podcast, episode number 193. We’ll have another episode for you later this month, so check back in in a couple of weeks. Until then, for the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, I’m Josh Raulerson, and thanks for listening.